Flexible weatherstrip means



Oct. 3, 1961 KESSLER 3,002,253

FLEXIBLE WEATHERSTRIP MEANS Filed March 26, 1958 IN VEN TOR M/LTO/V K 551.51?

BY i wffz ATTORNEY 3,002,253 FLEXIBLE WEATHERSTRIP MEANS Milton Kessler, 4535 Grove Drive, Youngstown, Ohio Filed Mar. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 723,992

3 Claims. (Cl. 2880) Weatherstripping utilizing pile fabric is known to the art, such stripping consisting of narrow strips of pile fabric similar to what would be formed by cutting up a large sheet of velvet plush or a pile rug into narrow strips. This produces narrow strips of plush material composed of members extending upwardly from a base, usually of woven fabric, said pile being equally dense both transversely and longitudinally of the tape. This material is inherently expensive, and also possesses some structural disadvantages for use in Weatherstripping; for such use, it is desirable to have a material which can be crushed practically flat, even for long periods, and still retain substantial resilience to spring back into upright position when the pressure is removed.

It is a major object of the present invention to produce a strip of pile-type Weatherstripping in which all of the pile originates from a single line in the center of a long strip of backing material, which is preferably a woven textile strip, but may also be a thin strip of plastic sheet material, said line extending substantially along the center of said strip, leaving a substantial area of sheet material on either side of the line for retention in a channel of wood, metal, or plastic material which forms the support and backing for the Weatherstripping. The pile material may be either natural, such as wool, or synthetic, such as nylon, being originally in the form of a relatively thick thread of bunched and somewhat twisted individual fibers, which are looped through the backing material somewhat in the fashion of chenille manufacture to form a linearly extending row of loops along the center of the strip of backing tape. The tips of these loops are then cut olf to a uniformheight, which leaves the individual fibers free to bush out to form a thick pile having substantial width across its top surface, even though it originates from a single lineof stitching. The back side of the tape is preferably then coated with any suitable sizing; for example, a thin coating of plastic material is applied to the back side, which may impregnate or partially impregnate the textile strip, where this is used, or in any case to retain the black loop of the pile fibers firmly locked in position.

In the fabrication of this Weatherstripping, the above procedure may be carried out simultaneously along a number of parallel lines on a single sheet of material, which is then cut midway between the parallel lines of pile stitching to form the desired strips. In this manner the material can be readily fabricated by available mechanisms well known in the textile industry to form a very inexpensive but highly satisfactory Weatherstripping. Since the pile originates from a single line of stitching, it can lie practically flat along the surface of the backing tape without crushing or losing elasticity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Weatherstripping which is readily replaceable in a channel or groove designed to accommodate it, which can be firmly retained in such groove without further support, and which is highly effective for its intended purpose.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a transverse cross-section of a piece of Weatherstripping according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view taken on line 2-2 of Patented Oct. 3, 1961 ice FIG. 1, showing the material in the process of fabrication;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the manner in which thestrips are fabricated from a single sheet of material;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a Weatherstrip inserted in a sheet metal channel;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the Weatherstripping used on the edge of a revolving door;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the weatherstripping used in connection with a metal window; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the Weatherstripping used in connection with ametal door and frame.

According to FIG. 1, the'weathers-trip 2 is composed of a tape-like strip 3, preferably of woven fabric material, although the strip may also be made of any suitable tough sheet plastic material. Extending longitudinally along the center of the tape 3 is a single continuous linear row of tufts 4, each strand of which is in the form of a loop or bight passingthrough the sheet of material as.

shown at 6. A backing 7 is applied to the underside of the strip, preferably in the form of a stiffening and binding compound which is applied in liquid form and then hardens or sets either'by air curing or by the application of heat. For most purposes, this will be cured so as to provide a non-tacky surface, but it is also within the purview of the invention to leave the backing compound in a tacky condition, either with or without a coverstrip which maybe peeled ofi immediately prior to application, so that the'strip may be made self-adherent to any surface to which it is applied.

FIG. 2 shows the manner of fabricating the pile 4 of the eatherstrip. This pile is originally in the form of a thick yarn, which is passed through the strip 3 to form loops 8, similar to those formed in chenille weave or terry cloth fabrication. These loops may then be out along line 9-9, whereupon the individual fibers of the yarn; 4 unravel and bunch out to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the loops may be out immediately after formation by the follower tool which follows the needle which forms the loops, or by a similar separate tool, after the fashion described in U.S. patent to Miller, No. 2,486,963.

In practice, the strips are preferably formed as shown in FIG. 3, where the backing is originally in the form of a 7 single large sheet, and the pile 4 is simultaneously formed in a number of parallel rows suitably spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the final desired tape. The sheet is then cut into strips by a rotary cutter 11, in a manner well known to the art, and which is, per so, no part of the present invention. The backing 7 may be applied to the entire sheet prior to cutting, or if desired, may be applied to the individual strips subsequent to the cutting operation.

In FIG. 4, the Weatherstrip 2 is shown inserted in a sheet-metal channel 13, preferably made of very thin sheet material formed as shown. Due to the fact that the pile originates along a single narrow line, the opening 14 in the channel may be made very small, whereby the Weatherstrip is very firmly retained in the channel without the necessity for crimping over the ends of the channel. This form of the invention is particularly suitable for use with wooden structures, to which it may be nailed by means of suitable nails or tacks 16 which can be driven entirely through the thin material without difficulty. In this form, the Weatherstrip may be used for doors, windows, etc., of wooden structures, and no special modification of the existing structure is required, while a neat and attractive appearance is secured. Alternatively, the nail 16 may be driven right through the center of the pile, which will spread around the nail, thus concealing same.

of tolerances.

FIG. shows the invention used as weather-stripping for the edge of a door, in this case shown as a revolving door, for which the invention is particularly suitable. The end of the revolving door 21, which cooperates with the usual arcuate wall portion 22, is provided with a channel at 23, which may be formed by a groovecut into the edge of the door, partly covered by two metal plates 26, 27, suitably fastened to the edge of the door as by screws 28. The Weatherstrip 2, exactly as shown in FIG. 1, is inserted intothe channel thus formed, so that its pile 4 extends through the longitudinal aperture 25. Due to the fact that the pile originates in a single line, it can readily bend over almost perfectly flat, or stand out substantially as shown in FIG. 1, as required by the fit of the door, and is thus adaptable to a variety of conditions.

FIG. '6 shows a cross-section through a window having a frame 3 1, usually of extruded aluminum, although it may also be of rigid plastic material. The frame is formed with longitudinally extending grooves 32 and 33, in each of which a strip 2 of the Weatherstripping material is placed as shown, to form a good weathertight seal with the corresponding sunfaces of the window frame 34 and 36, as will be apparent from inspection ofthe draw ing. It will be understood that two strips are shown only by way of example, and either one may be omitted with satisfactory results.

FIG. 7 shows one manner in which the Weatherstrip may be used with a door 41, hinged to a frame 42, in which is provided a slot 43 for reception of the weatherstriptape 3, with the pile 4 protruding so as to eifectively seal the edge of the door.

In the applications of FIGS. 5-7-it .will benoted that the tolerances of the cooperating parts of the closure member, e.g., the door or window, and its enclosing frame, cannot be very accurate in the building trade without an excessive increase in the cost. It is therefore necessary that Weatherstripping, to be practically effective, must be able to accommodate itself to a large range This is very eifectively accomplished by the Weatherstripping of the present invention, due to its construction whereby the pile originates from a single line on the backing tape, yet bushes out to cover the entire surface of the tape. This provides a pile of extreme resilience and compressibility, which can be compressed practically flat when the tolerance is small between the two opposing surfaces which are to be sealed, without binding or forcing of the surfaces, yet it can also eifectively fill up the space between the two surfaces when the fit between them is not close and provide an effective weatherseal even under these conditions. A solid plush pile of suificient length to provide the same bulk as the 4 present Weatherstrip would be too bulky for the situation where this is a close fit, and in the latter case would interfere with the proper fitting and closing operation of the members. At the same time, the high bulk factor is obtained using less of the relatively expensive yarn material than in the solid plush construction, with resulting saving in cost.

It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Weatherstripping for retention in a re-entrant channel comprising a narrow tape of flexible sheet material of uniform texture along its width and a single row of bushy resilient fiber tufts extending linearly along substantially the center line of said tape intermediate the edges thereof, leaaving a bare strip of tape on either side of said row, each said tuft formed of a short bundle of yarn fibers looped through said tape from the middle of the tape, leaving the edges of the tape bare on both sides of the row of tufts with the free ends of said short bundle bushing out on one side of the tape, and the middle of said short bundle bunched together to form a bight on the other side of the tape, the bushy bundles of fibers on said one side forming a highly resilient mat of fibers of sufficient depth to accommodate itself to a large range of tolerances of closures to which the Weatherstripping is 2. The invention according to claim 1, and a coating of adhesive material on said other side of the tape for reraining said bight on said tape.

3. The invention according to claim 1, said row of tufts bushing out laterally sufiiciently to substantially cover the entire surface of the tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

